(Newser)
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There's got to be a less dramatic way to quit smoking. WPTV reports a Florida man is in the hospital after his e-cigarette exploded in his face Monday, leaving him with a badly burned face and neck. Ema Richardson found her 21-year-old brother Evan Spahlinger on the floor and covered in soot after hearing an explosion and smelling smoke, according to CBS Miami. “I found my brother not breathing with his whole face burned and his neck burned and trying to throw up a little or maybe he was gasping for air,” Richardson says. Spahlinger was rushed to the hospital and put into a medically induced coma.

Richardson tells CBS that Spahlinger has internal and external burns and damage to his lungs. She says the mouthpiece from his e-cigarette may have gone down his throat and exploded a second time. According to WPTV, Spahlinger underwent cosmetic surgery Tuesday. Before he was taken to the hospital, Richardson tells CBS her brother managed to tell her he was done with e-cigarettes forever. Officials believe the explosion was caused by the e-cigarette's lithium battery, the culprit blamed in other e-cigarette explosions around the country. (Forget about packing e-cigs into your checked luggage.)

Most e-cigs these days use lithium batteries. Any lithium battery can be dangerous. The ones in your e-cig devices, your phone, your laptop, your newer model prius, your Tesla. They can explode or catch fire. To single out an e-cig is rather disingenious, don't you think? "The mouthpiece may have gone down his throat and exploded a second time." Seriously? Good god, man. You really should have just a tiny bit of knowledge about a subject before you write a journalistic article about it.

Luke101

Oct 29, 2015 7:51 PM CDT

I stand on my previous post on this subject, and this proves my point. These devices are capable of ignition when the batteries fail. and could start a fire in luggage.

hogsnort

Oct 29, 2015 5:40 PM CDT

In 2 years of vaping, I had one case of a battery that heated up when charging so I immediately tossed it out. Perhaps this poor chap had the same battery malfunction but continued to use it.